In my own opinion I think you only need a AR 22 if your using a upper on your AR 15 or a conversion kit. It's cheap to shoot as you all know but also gives you trigger time on your AR 15's trigger. If you buy a stand alone AR .22 it's not your AR 15's trigger and training on it won't be as productive.

I won't knock anyone for their tastes. I shoot several thousand rounds through my CMMG AR each year. It is a standard AR lower with a standard milspec weight trigger. I shoot it because I love rimfires. To me it is a joy to shoot. I have always loved the style of he AR rifle, so to me this was a no brainer. It isn't that I cannot afford to shoot a 5.56, I just prefer a rimfire for plinking part of the time. Hell, I have a 50 BMG, but most times I'd rather shoot a.308,.243, or 30-06. I will not sit here and say any firearm is useless, because if someone owns it, it has a use. I personally do not like handguns without external hammers, or most wooden stock rifles. But that is where to each their own comes in. So if you prefer to shoot AR's in 5.56, 9mm,6.8,7.62, .22 or any other caliber more power to you. I am just glad there is so much choice and variety in them.

__________________
" The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to
keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect
themselves against tyranny in Government...." - Thomas Jefferson

Primary reason is that it's cheap practice, and you can introduce a new shooter to the AR platform easily. It's also quieter than centerfire.
Similar to the Ruger 45/22 or any of the millions of variants of 22LR 1911s.
Let me shoot 1,000 rounds of 22LR thru my dedicated 22 upper, and when I switch to my 5.56 upper with similar sights, it's second nature.

Similar to what up and coming motorcrossers are doing nowadays by racing 'mini-moto' bikes, and besides being slower and safer, it doesn't hurt as much when you come off of one of the little ones.

I actually think .22lr AR's make more sence than their centerfire brothers. Why? I don't want or need an AR for SD/HD and while they do make a fair varmint gun to me they are really just range toys. So if I'm gonna have a range toy or even a gun for some of the fast shooting competitions than it may as well shoot cheap ammo. Hence, make mine a .22lr.

But then I was actually thinkin about buying one a few months ago. Looked, handled and even shot a few. In the end I couldn't justify the added cost over a good ol' 10/22 so I snagged up another one and a couple BX25 mags.

People have already hit this nail on the head, but it's economy of practice. You can shoot all day long for $40, whereas $40 in .223 only buys you about 100 rounds.

1000+ rounds of 22LR in one day is a heck of alot of practice time. Learning controls, developing muscle memory, marksmanship skills and instincts. Transferring to your main rifle only requires you to learn recoil management which isn't much.

My reason for having one (smith 15-22 moe with some extras) is I love to shoot, period. This thing rips through bulk amo like water, reliable as could be, fairly accurate, and extremely cheap to shoot. and in a survival situation, something I would rather have than not. That being said, Im also plannning on picking up a 5.56 later this week...I think the Smith 22 is a good practice tool, as all of the controls, and the dimentions, are basically the same as a real ar. Having put several thousand rounds through my 22, I expect to feel pretty familiar with the ar I get soon. Now I just have to wait two more days to get my profit sharing check and its off to the gunshop!

Bottom line is that for the cost of a .22LR AR-15, you can get a case of 1,000 rounds of .223 or 5.56 or more. If you can't "learn the controls" of an AR-15 (we're not talking about an XM-1 tank here) with 1,000 rounds of ammo, you are not going to learn it.

Look, if you think they are cool and want to shoot a .22LR AR-15, then be my guest and go for it! Have fun. Knock yourself out. But for goodness sake, stop pretending that you are doing something useful to training with it.

Look, if you think they are cool and want to shoot a .22LR AR-15, then be my guest and go for it! Have fun. Knock yourself out. But for goodness sake, stop pretending that you are doing something useful to training with it.

What a horrible attitude.

Shooting, like any other skill, only improves with practice. To suggest that shooting more (even rimfires) can't help you improve the skill, is just ridiculous.

The only difference between a regular AR 15 and my dedicated .22LR AR-15 is the BCG Group and the barrel. The Upper and Lower is a standard AR-15. The trigger is the same as a standard AR-15 and all the controls are the same except for the forward assist. The more you practice with a rifle the more you can do without having to think about it. I get 10x times the amount of trigger time and practicing marksmanship fundamentals with the .22LR AR-15 as you do with a 100 rd box of .223.

I traded for two fully built AR-15 lowers and purchased my CMMG AR Upper Brand new for $250.00. The cost was negligible and the benefit is more trigger time.

The motor cortex of the brain maps repetitive functions. The more you do these functions they will be done on a subconscious level allowing you to concentrate on the vital part of shooting which is using the sights on a rifle.

I really think this says it all. The more you shoot regardless of what you shoot, the better you get at it. Some of the folks here need to keep their emotions in check. We all have one thing in comman.

I have a Ruger 10/22, I love it. The BX25 makes it fun to shoot 25 rounds at a time. However, to get an Adjustable LOP stock, a bull barrel, and have it pillar bedded and free-floated would cost me just the same as if I bought an AR15 in 22LR

And it still wouldn't be an AR. It would be a 10/22. Which is fine. But they cost the same if they are optioned out the same.

Soo much stupidity in this thread. There is NO REASON what so ever to buy a Ar-22 other than for coolness factor/fun factor. No, it is not realistic to military training, or as a cheaper training alternative. Let me deal with this first, and then move on to the what people call training part second.

Let me get this straight. Your looking for a cheap training gun alternative so you look into smaller calibers? The ruger 10/22 is not "realistic enough" for "training" because it has a different shape so its not enough and people need a AR-22 model to "train". Have you forgotten that it is a .22, the bullet is a fraction of the size, weight, and velocity of the full AR in 5.56. You need the gun to be semi auto to be realistic to the real thing, yet you choose one where recoil doesn't exist? You claim its an alternative because the components are the same I guess in some models. Well, newsflash, you can just use your ar to practice breakdowns/malfunctions at the range with 1 single dummy round. When your shooting it, sights and recoil are the only thing that you deal with. They both need to be the same in a PAIR to be realistic, as recoil has a massive effect on your aim.

To put in another perspective, its like saying you got your kid a powerwheels electric vehicle in the nascar model, because hes training to become a nascar driver. In no way, shape, or form do the 2 correlate, regardless to whether or not the stickers are the same.

Now the whole "training" aspect. If you claim you need an ar for home defense, or for self protection, you need professional help. RUN AND GUNS ARE NOT TRAINING, NOR ARE THEY ANYTHING RELATED. In a tactical situation there will not be multiple men, standing out in the middle of the open, and they all won't just let you run around and shoot at them without returning fire. If you go up against 5 men with BOLT ACTIONS, and you think none of them will get a shot off at you YOU ARE WRONG. In 90% of any circumstance in a non shtf situation, if someone is breaking into your house they will probably be alone, or in a pair. You will not tote around your ar15 and go shoot them, if you wake up, you will likely be woken to their noise and grab your semi auto pistol if you have one (if not you shouldn't waste your money on an ar before you get one) and if you see them and they move to point their guns at you you will likely do this: Raise your weapon, point it in the general direction, and pull the trigger as fast as you can. No training at the range is even simulation to being in a life or death situation. Most people will forget their training that they have done once or twice and do that. Most people who own guns for protection and protection alone shoot them 1 time a year if even, and nothing training related.

If you have a pistol, you go to the range and practice on a monthly basis at least, practice drawing and retrieving from a box or flat surface, practice quick alignment, acquisition, and aim points, you will be training basically as much and as practically as you can for an intruder.

If your intruder is big enough where he came with multiple people, most likely 3 or more, and they all have semi autos (if they are that serious to bring the people they won't be carrying bolt action cricket "my first rifles") and you will be shot before you can subdue them unless you have military training for such. Even then, ask someone with specialized military training and they will say you are most likely dead.

In an shtf situation, if someone hostile sees you they will most likely seek cover before they shoot and if you are not tracking them they would be tracking you. They would have the jump, you would be screwed. They aren't going to try to shoot you while you are in a hut or behind cover. If you see someone, and if you are a logical human, you would not track them down, shoot them, and pillage them. If you would, you shouldn't be buying guns as you are a threat to society if that is your mindset. And even if you did, you wouldn't need an ar, a standard hunting rifle would do.

If you do seek tactical training, and go to a place that offers it, I believe most would laugh at you if you tried to use a .22 ar. People worry that a 5.56x45 isn't enough to kill a human, so what do you think they would think about a .22.

If you are getting adequate training for military or private contractor purposes, you need to use the rifle you will use in combat, and if you have the money to pay for the hundreds of hours of course training, either you have the cash to cover it or most likely the course will cover the ammunition. If you don't have the cash to take the course, you shouldn't as there's no reason to get tactical training if you cannot pay for rent, food, and heat.

In the marksman skills level, shooting any gun will help your skills. And that is true, if you are shooting a .22 short or a bb gun it will help your skills. But don't tote a .22 or any gun and try to act like you are training for combat. Your not, your having fun and becoming a better shot. A military base is where you learn to act in a combat situation. I don't want people acting like they are training at the range, I don't want to get shot because they fire during their draw, or because they do something stupid.

I shoot fast target acquisition drills at less than 20 meters. I do it for fun and to stay proficient with my rifles. This is the same drills I was taught when learning with the AR. I shoot both my CMMG .22 and my M&P15 or DD for practice. I am not in the service any longer, nor am I preparing for the end of the world. I don't shoot these for practice for HD situations. I shoot them because I like to shoot. For someone to tell me that the AR in.22 isn't a good practice tool or training tool, needs to realize that not everyone shoots the same as hem or even for the same reasons.

The CMMG .22 is identical to my 5.56 AR's and offer quite an advantage for me when shooting. Mainly the cost of ammo.

I know it is the Internet, but I have yet to understand why some are just down right mean about things they do not lie but others might enjoy or find beneficial. If this is the attitude to other shooters, this is sad. We all shoot different firearms in different calibers. I let my nephew use my CMMG for squirrel hunting. I shoot my 50 BMG at targets, but have a friend that uses his for prairie dog hunting. My point is be nice,people have many different opinions and that is all they are.... None are fact, they are opinions.....

__________________
" The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to
keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect
themselves against tyranny in Government...." - Thomas Jefferson

jbat35, you have lots of ideas and opinions, but one thing you forget about guns and people: Beaucoup little old ladies have ruined a bad guy's day with a single-shot 20-gauge or the late husband's old SAA.

Read the Armed Citizen blurbs in any issue of the American Rifleman or the American Hunter and you'll find that a lot of what you say is, if not wrong, irrelevant.

__________________
You're from BATFE? Come right in! I use all your fine products!

Back to the thread: If you like the AR .22, get one and have fun. If it ain't your deal, fuggedaboudit. Why bother?

But if you like the AR and want to save $$$ in plinking or practicing, it looks like a good way to go. Not particularly my deal, but what does that have to do with anything?

If you're thinking of an AR for defensive use of whatever sort, what's called muscle memory carries over from any AR to any other AR as far as the operation. That's all reflexive. Grip, sights, trigger: Pretty much the same, allatime. What counts is the training of your mind as to varying situations, different scenarios. Mindset, skill set, tool set--in that order.

__________________
You're from BATFE? Come right in! I use all your fine products!

I bought my S&W AR style 22 simply because I like it. That is reason enough. I don't have to justify it any more than the lever action Marlin or Winchester 22's I own because I happen to like them as well.

Bottom line is that for the cost of a .22LR AR-15, you can get a case of 1,000 rounds of .223 or 5.56 or more.

Any firearm worth having is going to last you for at least a couple decades so 1000 rounds really isn't that much. The way I see it I'm ahead economically in less than a year. IMHO no collection is complete without a .22 rifle so why not make it one that operates the same and takes the same accessories as one of your other rifles?

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